Being Alive
by TheLittleLuPone
Summary: Bobby thinks that being loved is being alive, but perhaps loving someone back is what it really means to be alive. Joanne has always been loved, but has never loved until a very special "kid" comes into her life. Together they're alive. Bobby/Joanne. Based on the 2011 concert version with Patti LuPone and Neil Patrick Harris.
1. Chapter 1

"Kiss me, Bobbie," Joanne breathed in the younger man's ear. Leaning her head against the wall, she closed her eyes and spread her plump lips in anticipation.

"Joanne, your married. To my friend! I can't do that to Larry," Bobby argued, frozen in place.

"I can," she told him bluntly, grabbing his shirt in fistfuls to pull him closer.

"Joanne..." he whispered on her lips, fighting a losing battle against the thing he wanted most.

"It's your choice _Bobby. _I won't kiss you. But I'll sure as hell let you kiss me..." The way his name slid out of her full lips, with such crisp diction, made his body ache. God she drove a hard bargain. She expelled a hot breath onto Bobby's lips, filling his mouth with anticipation; with want for her.

He could faintly taste something there, something indescribable. Something he wanted more of. Bobby crashed his lips against hers so quickly and with such force it made her gasp into his mouth. He had to move fast though, had to experience being with the woman of his dreams once before his better judgement stopped him.

Taking control, as always, Joanne flipped them, pushing Bobby into the wall and using her smooth tongue to explore his mouth fully. Reaching behind him, she grabbed handfuls of his rear, massaging roughly. Groaning into her mouth, Bobby wrapped his arms tighter around her, pulling them closer to each other.

Robert pulled away from her hot mouth to kiss and nibble at her jaw. "Oh, Bobby!" she whimpered dramatically, trying her best to look the part of a cocky sex goddess, "Where'd you learn that baby?" He began running his hands up and down her sides, as he sucked her earlobe between his teeth.

Joanne gave him another laugh of a moan, suddenly thankful she had foregone earrings. Bobby flipped their positions again, pushing her against the wall to explore her smooth tan neck with his lips. She cupped both of his cheeks, pulling his mouth back to hers. Kissing him earnestly, she paused only to bite into his bottom lip lightly, pulling it back between her teeth as they broke apart.

She smiled up at him, let all of her sexy confidence shine through. "Well, that was fun," she told him matter-of-factly, shoving her way around him to check her lipstick in the full-length mirror sitting in the corner of her bedroom.

Bobby stared at her, amazed by the wall she built around her emotions. Determined to break it, he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, picking up where he left all with teasing nips and long strokes of his tongue. She continued to right herself in the mirror, completely unaffected by the attractive leach she had acquired.

Forcing her to respond, Bobby pulled her hands from where they were untangling a piece of jewelry and wrapped them beneath his own on her waist.

"Alright, kiddo. That's enough," she said with a smirk, untangling herself to place a quick peck to his lips before heading for the door. "Enjoy the party Bobby!" she told him, slipping back into hostess mode and picking up her glass where she had left it on the dresser.

"Wait!" he scolded as she went for the knob, "So this meant nothing to you?"

Joanne turned around to see the hurt in his face, "Oh, kid. It did mean something. Just not what you want it to mean...right now. No matter how bad of a decision it is, I love my husband. Maybe when Larry and I are through..." she said, looking genuinely hopeful.

"How can you say that about someone you love?" he demanded. This is exactly why he wasn't married.

"Because I just can, Bobby!" she yelled at him, letting the façade drop, "I just- enjoy the party kid..."

She was gone. He looked around the room that she shared with Larry. It was completely black and white with the occasional lavender accent. **Joanne **was written all over it. Crossing the room, he flipped on the light in the short hallway that led to the bathroom and closet space. Both the master closets were filled with her black flowy clothes, an entire wall of one dedicated to her shoes alone. In the corner sat a small chest which he assumed Joanne had "_generously_" awarded Larry to keep his things in. The bathroom was the same; her hair products occupying both vanities.

Flipping the lights back off, Bobby went to retrieve his drink from where he had set it when Joanne first corralled him into her room. Picking it up to take a swig, he noticed the red lip prints glistening on the crystal. He smiled, wondering if she had taken his drink on purpose. He took a long swig anyway. Turning to look at the story of Joanne told through trow pillows and sleek furniture again, he opened the door and set off to find her.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Since no one really reads "Company" fanfic this will probably stay a one-shot. However, with the concert version now on DVD and in theaters maybe this will be read! If I see a lot of readers on the Traffic Stats or I get some reviews I can make this into a multi-chapter story. Please review! It means the world to me.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Damn!" Joanne huffed, dropping into the pillows with a soft thud. With one tan arm draped across her burning forehead, she used the other to draw deliciously rough patterns on Larry's chest.

"Don't curse in bed," Larry grumbled. It was more of a meek request than the demand he had been aiming for.

"It was a compliment," she shot him a sultry look before stretching to pluck a cigarette from the carton on his bedside table. Her still bare breasts brushed against his chest, and he smiled not only at the feeling, but the view. God, she was beautiful. The younger women she shot blazing brown -turned a jealous shade of green- eyes at, could never compare to his Joanne. He gave her bottom a squeeze through the sheet and she squeaked her approval before situating back onto her side of the bed. Why jealousy was even a thought in her pretty little head was beyond him. These lapses in confidence stopped bothering him years ago, though. The realization that watching him saunter through cohorts of young _broads -_as she called them- had Joanne pulling him to bed by his tie had set it at some point. No, he didn't mind her territorial nature in the slightest; reminders as to where his loyalties lie were more than welcome.

Joanne had nothing to worry about, though. Larry never took his mind or his eyes off of her. She was everything he could want- driven, beautiful, independent, strong-willed, and (no matter how hard she fought to hide it) a hopeless romantic.

The brunette took a long drag on her cigarette, let the smoke swirl within her, and expelled it back out with a contented sigh. What she told Robby was a convenient half-truth. Smoking was _not_ the best; Smoking after hot, exhilarating sex...**_that_** was the best. She wouldn't dare mention anything sexual around Robby though. Talk of sex around him would only douse gasoline on the fire raging with her. There had always been a welcome dose of sexual tension between the two. It was fun to play around with. Passing flirtatious glances, making empty suggestions, sharing hardly innocent touches. The kiss at her party had sucked out all of the fun. Joanne had taken their little game too far, and now it took everything she had not to push him against the nearest wall and have her way with him.

"Jo, honey! This is a white comforter! You've gotta catch the ashes,"

She flinched and looked around, only half-roused from her heated thoughts. Turning to set her cigarette in the ashtray on her nightstand, she correcting her husband, "It's a duvet."

"Smart Ass!" he grumbled playfully, rolling over to lick and nip at her breasts.

"Don't curse in bed," Joanne mocked in a husky moan, holding his head firmly to her chest. Thank God he wanted to go again. She was going to need all the help she could get to take Robby off her mind.

* * *

"John is having an affair!" The little blonde wailed without preamble.

Joanne's head popped up, jaw slack. Expelling a deep breath, she cursed her own guilty conscious- John sounded too much like Joanne. The entire table went quiet, and a few strangers turned to see where the screaming confession had come from. Not one of the ten ladies seated could offer any comfort to their "friend", because they weren't friends at all. That word was only used to make their tasteful acquaintance sound more intimate -as it usually was with these sorts of women in this sort of a city.

Joanne toyed with the idea of popping off a signature snide comment. Something along the lines of "If Larry were having an affair, I'd drop his ass on the street, and enjoy the divorce settlement until husband number four came along!" She couldn't force the lie out though, not today. Losing him would never be that easy, and it was painfully obvious.

No matter how hard it was to admit, Larry was different. He was...perfect, if she were being completely honest- which was a rare delicacy. Larry had her figured out from day one. He knew when to shut up and submit, but also when to step in and override. Joanne loved him. This was the first marriage that she could remember being emotionally -rather than financially- invested in. There was an unbearably strong affection for him hiding somewhere deep within her. Larry was her everything and she had a sneaking suspicion that -whether it was said aloud or not- he knew just how adored he was. Dysfunctional though the manner of showing it was.

Some of that adoration had to be spurned on by his complete worship of her. Joanne caught him watching her constantly, his eyes filled with love and wonder. She couldn't be that fascinating, right? She was just a middle aged woman, nagging and bitching all day with the occasional sexy comment whispered in his ear. He still loved her though. And how was she repaying him? Kissing younger men and making love only to satisfy her appetite for another. She was still _there_ though, thinking of nothing but him the whole time. Robby hadn't crept that far into her mind...yet.

"Well, that's shit news!" Joanne announced loudly, dropping her napkin onto the plate of picked-over salad. Lacing her long, tan fingers together, she looked around the table for back-up, squirming at the silence. "Well, I sure as hell hope that works out for yuh. If you all will excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

* * *

"Is Larry in?" Joanne barked. She made a point to lean far over the high desk, giving the young receptionist an eyeful of her ample cleavage. That should remind her whose sheets her boss rolled in every night.

"Yes, ma'am..." The girl answered meekly.

Giving an uninterested nod, she turned to for her husband's office. Throwing a smirk over her shoulder, she added, "And, don't call me ma'am! I'm not _that _old, sweetheart." Opening the door without a knock, she found Larry swiveled around backwards, a spiral cord disappearing behind the chair. Closing the door lightly, she threw her handbag into a leather chair and walked around to plop herself on the edge of his desk. With teasingly spread legs, Joanne wrapped her arms around the cool leather of his chair to rub her hands across his warm chest.

Larry swiveled around slowly to find his wife before him, legs spread, leaning back on her elbows. "Uh, Philip...I gotta run. Something important was just dropped on my desk. Yeah, I'll -uh- I'll call you back." He dropped the phone on the receiver, leaning back in his chair to appreciate the "important" thing on his desk.

Joanne broke the silence to ask with a smirk, "Well, here I am. Are you really going to turn down an offer like this?"

He chuckled at her forward nature, "Never." Larry scooted forward to drop slow kisses from her knee to her thigh, lingering between her hips with an open mouth, eyes locked on hers.

"What a tease!" Her tone was dramatically over-sexed as she slid seamlessly from the desk into his lap meeting his lips in a feverish kiss. He reached around her blindly to push hard against the desk, spinning the pair in a dizzying circle. Her loud, hearty laugh echoed through the room as Larry's demanding lips latched on to her neck.

* * *

The smell of him came before the sight. His strong, musky cologne was wafting from the doorway of her apartment. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Joanne announced her presence much louder than necessary, per the norm. "Robby! What are you doing here, kiddo?"

Robert smiled widely and stood up a bit straighter, "Well, it's only four and I remembered you saying Larry didn't come home for another hour or so. I thought I'd drop by and talk with you about some stuff."

"Damn." she muttered under her breath, hoping he didn't hear. He heard. "Well, come in!" she shrieked, pushing past him to unlock the door. "Can I make you a drink?"

"No, thanks. I'd like to be sober around you for once." He chuckled at his own joke.

Joanne couldn't find the humor. "You sure, babe?" Shit, she had to stop calling him by these pet names, "I can't drink alone!"

"Then don't. What is it about me that makes you drink?" Robert's tone was suddenly so serious.

Rolling her eyes, she said, " Just trying to keep up with _you_, kiddo." It was a better choice than the honest answer of 'Because every time I see you, I have to find a way to keep myself from pulling you on top of me.' Instead she shot him a wide smile and poured herself a large vodka stinger, "You sure?"

"Positive." He answered with a mischievously sensual look in his eyes.

Joanne took a large swig of her drink, stopping just short of draining the glass. "So what was it you wanted?"

"You." The delicate glass slipped from her grasp and shattered on the tile floor.

* * *

**To all of you who read chapter one, I hope you stick with me a bit longer. I know this is slightly outrageous, but I have a plan. I promise you that much!**


End file.
